After the sunset

The wind has come down to manageable levels. I'm finally done with all training related work for this trip. Work's still suspended (we had to stop yesterday 'cos of the inclement weather). That left me with pretty much the whole day and nothing to do. So I tried to make myself useful. (Read: went out to the back-deck, looked around while crew members did what they did everytime the weather fucked us up.)

Haven't had too many opportunities of lazing around on the backdeck early in the afternoon, when the sun is at it's highest in the sky, so I made the most of it. Entirely unbidden, a few thoughts came to me. As I looked out, my eyes scanning the horizon, I was met with a view not too many would have enjoyed. Absolute desolation. No man or man-made object in sight with the exception of the ship on which I stood. An image came floating back to me. The last sunset I'd seen from my window back home. The difference struck me. In that image there were houses, trees, water tanks and all the rest that you would find in a settlement. And I remember having cursed them all, for not allowing me an untainted view of the sunset. To quote M: 'Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony'. Nothing blocked my view today.

I had the sense to not feel dejected. True, for a month I have been living a life rather extreme, away from all civilization (though not cut off from it, thankfully!). Working with no weekends, no exceptions to the daily schedule of midday to midnight. But with that comes the fantastic world where human activity is of no significance. The waves rear up their curled heads. The wind swoops down n snatches off their tips! White spray. There might as well have been nobody watching. I felt like I had intruded upon the interplay of powers way beyond my grasp. Not everybody was welcome into this world. Not everyone got the chance to be a part of it in their entire lives. Believe me, when I say it's cold here, I mean bitter in a way you cannot imagine, unless you have felt it seep through any amount of clothing and slowly chill your very bones!

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My Orkut 'Today's fortune' said: You are going to have a very comfortable old age. :D. But I guess one should think about it every once in a while, old age that is. . . Nah! not today.

After dark I got back to my desk (had to, the wind was picking up again, and I had no wish of taking a dip in the sea). I was aimlessly pottering about the net when, entirely accidentally, I stumbled upon a blog I recognised! And thereafter onto others. The hours went by in a flash, a fresh cup of coffee and 3 slices of a delicious cake every hour significantly assisted the passage, I may add. Incidents rejvinating memories, bringing a smile on my face. Pictures opening flood-gates of recollections, leaving a slight ache in my heart.

Ever noticed how music seems to superimpose itself on the reading it accompanies? Today it was Third Eye Blind. I still think of The Count of Monte Cristo whenever I listen to Summer Sunshine. . .

A while back I was pleasantly srprised when I heard the soundtrack of 'Bunty aur Bubly' blaring from the instrument room music system!! It was clearly for me, 'cos none of my colleagues underatand a syllable of Hindi :D. I like my workmates, most of whom are senior to me by over a decade. Despite that, they have a bright sense of humour, the movie has been topping the UK charts it seems :)).

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While resizing pics for uploading to the blog, I noticed that I manage to resize and save a picture using just a sequence of keyboard shortcuts:

>select pic >'Win menu' key >h >p

>Ctrl+w >40 (%) >Tab >40 (%) >Enter

>Alt >f >a >' (brevity is a virtue) >Enter

And voila! I have a pic small enough to upload quickly over the rather shaky sattelite net connection :P.